Casa Del Lago

281 Elland Road, Brighouse

Venue Casa Del Lago

Tel01484 717052

Website www.casahotel.co.uk

Opening hours Serving times, Mon-Thurs 12pm-3pm, 6pm-10pm, Fri-Sat 12pm-10pm and Sun 12pm-9pm

ChildrenYes

Disabled accessYes

The bill£35.15

CASA Del Lago translates to house on the lake and the Brighouse bar and restaurant is certainly the latter.

Looking at a stretch of the picturesque Brookfoot Lock where jet skis entertain pubgoers, Casa is the perfect venue for a sunny day, a glass or two of Pimms and a long lazy lunch looking over the lake and enjoying the atmosphere few pubs and restaurants can offer due to its large outdoor seating area.

Sadly, its name and the sun were the only things Spanish about the place when my friend Kate and I visited.

We took our seats overlooking the water and, unsure of table service or not, waited.

In the end I went to fetch the menu and was given a restaurant and bar snacks menu.

We went for the restaurant menu which is an eclectic mix of Italian with pizzas and pastas, Greek with moussaka and a bit of everything else from steaks to salads.

The bar is upstairs while we were sat below on the terrace so after a trip to the bar to collect the menus, then a few minutes spent looking and deciding what to order, I headed back upstairs to order, leaving Kate to enjoy the view.

And it was a good job there was a view to enjoy as she was waiting some time for me to return.

After waiting at the bar to place our order I was sent to another bar where I waited for someone to arrive. When he did, I told the waiter what we wanted which was fine until I asked for drinks. That had to be done at the first bar. It was confusing.

Thankfully, I was back in the sun again and it wasn’t long until our shared starter arrived.

We went for stuffed doughballs with mozzarella and a sweet chilli and garlic mayonnaise dip.

It came with an extra dip which I think was alioli.

The dough balls were fresh, the mozzarella perfectly melted over and the dips were tasty too.

It was a great snack to share.

For mains I went for the most Spanish-type meal I could find on the menu, a Mediterranean vegetable and goats cheese penne pasta in a Napoli sauce.

The dish was tasty, fresh with plenty of pasta and vegetables and a warm slice of goats cheese which perfectly crumbled when touched.

It came presented in a large bowl and there was actually too much for me to finish. No complaints there.

I also got a mixed salad as a side, only to find I could have had that as a main due to its size. It looked untouched even though I ploughed my way through the many fresh olives, tomatoes and peppers.

Kate went for the lasagne with home made garlic bread and a side order of chunky chips.

She rated the lasagne highly – and she is something of an expert when it comes to lasagne.

But she thought the garlic bread could have been toasted or grilled a little longer.

Although we were both a little stuffed we decided to share a desert and went for the Banoffe pie.

It was a little disappointing, more ‘offe than ban’!

The banana part was pieces of dried banana on the top of a toffee pudding with a helping of cream on top. The dried bananas weren’t that nice which leaves just a toffee pudding. Not really what we wanted nor expected.

The atmosphere at Casa on a sunny day is fantastic, the prices offer good value, especially with a cheaper bar snacks menu available.

But it’s missing that taste of Spain it’s name implies.

The services was also a little hectic and confused, even on a seemly quiet lunchtime.

Would I go again? Of course I would – the view is what sells Casa. But it doesn’t mean the menu can’t be spot-on too.